Writer · Performer · Label Director
Tonight is the annual awards ceremony for the Association of Independent Music. I’m nominated in the Independent Entrepreneur category.
It is possibly the strangest thing that has ever happened to me (at least in the field of music).
I’m really looking forward to the event. I wrote a few words about being nominated here.
I’ll probably be tweeting about it (@louisbarabbas) throughout the night if anyone’s into that sort of thing.
See you on the other side…
Two months ago I sent out a message through the various Bedlam Six networks asking people to send us weird and wonderful (or downright horrible) footage to include in a new music video.
Usually our songs are fairly narrative-heavy so the accompanying videos tend to have a pretty rigid theme and structure. The new single, however, is more instrument-heavy and lyrically vague. What better time to conduct an experiment in crowd-sourcing and create a video out of completely random material sent in by the audience.
Here’s the result…
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You can read the original Call For Submissions here
It is interesting just how many people included images of dolls and shop dummies. When I sent out the press release the cover art of dismembered manikin hands had not yet been unveiled.
Serendipity or something more sinister?
You decide…
The Bedlam Six‘s latest single “Three Down, Four To Go” is released today on Debt Records. The B-sides are a remix of “Theban Sacred” (from the Memoir Noir EP) and “The Devil And The Hole” (featuring guest vocals by Bridie Jackson).
It is available through all the usual digital retailers, but I strongly recommend getting it straight from the band’s online shop (where it not only costs less but is available in a choice of formats).
Listen on Soundcloud below:
Video by Leeson George (at Moose Like Features) for the Roxby’s Wonky Disco Remix of the song Theban Sacred (originally on the Memoir Noir EP then remixed for inclusion on The Bedlam Six’s upcoming single “Three Down, Four To Go”).
Footage is from the 1978 film ‘War of the Robots’ (directed by Alfonso Brescia)
Stop-motion animator Sarah-Jane Blake has made a video for The Bedlam Six’s “Devil And The Hole” song. This is one of our oldest tunes, in fact I wrote it before the band got together. Previously it has only been available as a live recording (on our Live At The Dancehouse Theatre album). This studio version is one of the B-Sides of our “Three Down, Four To Go” single and features guest vocals by Bridie Jackson
WARNING: NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK. CONTAINS IMAGES THAT SOME VIEWERS MAY FIND OFFENSIVE
Joining the Bedlam Six and I at Thursday’s single launch party at Islington Mill on Thursday 18th October will be two of Manchester’s finest singers. Well, I say “Manchester’s” – one is from Ireland and the other Wales (but don’t let details trouble you).
In ACT ONE: Becca Williams (from Becca & The Broken Biscuits).
Below is a video of Becca and I (with Bedlam pianist Fran Lydiatt) playing “A Cowboy’s Work Is Never Done” in my apartment.
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In ACT TWO: Ríoghnach Connolly (from Honeyfeet).
Below is a video of Rí’s recent solo album launch, singing “Mad Tom O’Bedlam”
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Support comes from electro-blues duo WALK
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Last month I was asked to write an article about Manchester for Now Then Magazine, a brilliant arts and culture periodical that this month expanded their distribution beyond their native Sheffield. I was touched when they asked me to contribute to the first Manchester edition, especially since I am not a native of these parts (it takes about half a second to identify my accent as irredeemably southern). And it was this subject that I felt I was most qualified to expound upon. I have lived in Manchester for ten years but suspect that even if I were to live here for a hundred I’d never be considered Mancunian.
You can read the article on this website in the articles section but I also strenuously recommend heading over to the online edition of Now Then Manchester to check out the rest of the magazine (also featuring an interview with the great Warren Ellis).
Sometimes I’d like to pretend just for a moment that there was some faceless administrator running this website rather than me. Then I could post some third person news story about being nominated for an award and then quote myself giving an endearingly surprised statement about what an unexpected honour it is (and it is both unexpected and an honour).
But everyone knows it’s me because this is clearly a wordpress do-it-yourself site and any suggestions to the contrary would be preposterous. And besides, I’m supposed to be DIY anyway.
I have never been overly fond of awards ceremonies as a phenomenon or the associated back-patting that goes with them but I am pretty thrilled to be part of this one. Why have I suddenly changed my tune? Why am I getting my suit dry cleaned? Why am I polishing up my wedding shoes? Is it just a simple case of hypocrisy?
Each day I read a bunch of articles written by people involved in or associated with the music industries.
I do not do this because I want to learn all I can about the creative economy or how best to navigate the modern music marketplace or what trends I should be keeping up with (for that way madness lies…).
No, I mostly do it to reassure myself that I’m not the only one who doesn’t know what the hell’s going on.
There are two launch parties for our new single “Three Down, Four To Go”
The first is at Islington Mill in Salford on 18th October. Tickets can be booked here (includes download of the single)
The second is at The Picket in Liverpool (in association with Threshold Festival) on 20th October. Tickets can be booked here
“Three Down, Four To Go” will be on general release through Debt Records on Monday 22nd October.
